Now in their 66th year, the NME Awards celebrate music from the last 12 months. The Awards show features a range of music from British to international, but one award stands out above the rest: the God-like genius award. This year’s winner is Emily Eavis, daughter of Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, who has carried on where her father left off and established ‘Glasto’ as nothing short of a national institution.
Not all of the nation is united behind Glastonbury, however. Rising East contributors Ellissa Chiles and Benedicty Sukama hold vastly different views on the topic:
Ellissa: “Glastonbury is a festival for everybody, which is truly is reflected in the range of music that is staged there. Each year I find myself waiting to hear what the lineup will be, and I can’t wait to go there myself. As Andrew Trendell said in his NME article, Emily Eavis ‘is the only person in Britain who can throw a better party than any of us’. She’s picking up this award in Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary year with an ambition to make the lineup 50:50, women and men. Despite the complaints about ‘granddad’ Paul McCartney headlining this year, in my opinion the award couldn’t go to a better person!”
Benedicty: “Is Glastonbury that much to care about? In fact it’s a festival for middle class rich people to say, look we have something of our own. For all the talk about it being musically diverse, there is a strong emphasis on particular types of music and other genres are treated as second rank, even if the acts who appear are top-liners in their own field. Noel Gallagher revealed this exclusive attitude in 2008 in his response to the prospect of Jay Z as the headline act: “Glastonbury has the tradition of guitar music. I’m not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.” If that’s how those people like it, let them get on with it. But don’t tell me this is music for everybody! More like a muddy excuse for middle class ‘grownups’ to jump and down like children. That’s their privilege, not mine.”
“Sunset at Glastonbury” by AwayWeGo210 is licensed under CC BY
